


Love For Dipshits

by taffee23



Category: Disenchantment (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Slow Burn, like really slow blurn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-01-15 03:37:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21246848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taffee23/pseuds/taffee23
Summary: Exploring the relationship between Bean and Pendergast. They'll end up together but they gotta go through some stuff first.





	1. Before the Storm

Pendergast walked into the throne room. He was summoned by King Zøg. To his surprise, the whole royal family was there. He bowed when stood in front of them. Derek was holding his teddy bear and focusing on it while Oona sat straight and proud. Zøg was leaning to the side, head in his hand, he was bored. Bean sat low in her chair, upon seeing Pendergast she straightened up a little. She still kept her arms crossed but she was now interested. 

“Pendergast,” Zøg started, “I called you here ‘cause I need you to keep your eye on Bean.”

“I will, sire,” Pendergast. Bean rolled her eyes at her father. She was nineteen, why did she need a bodyguard? She scoffed and started head out. Just like that, his task began.

He followed her out into the garden and then lost her. He panicked, he couldn’t have lost her that easily. Then, he heard a laugh from above. He looked up and there she was, in the tree. 

“Your highness-”

“You can just call me Bean,” she interrupted. 

“Bean, could you get down from there, a princess shouldn’t be climbing trees,” he replied.

She crossed her arms, “And how do you know what a princess should or should not be doing?”

“I live in the castle and it’s part of my job,” he told her bluntly.

“Oh,” she scratched the back of her head. She then got out of the tree and back on the ground. She pursed her lips in thought. An idea came to mind and she headed for the secret exit in the garden.

“Where are you going? Your father said he wants you in the castle walls,” he said as he followed her.

“My dad never said that,” she retorted. She had him there. Zøg never said anything about keeping her in the castle walls. She opened up the secret entrance to Pendergast’s dismay.

“Well, you should still stay here where it’s safe,” he said. 

She looked back at him, “Oh come on, have a little fun. Besides, you'll still be keeping a watch on me.”

He sighed and followed her. He followed her through the tunnel, down the streets of Dreamland and all the way to The Flying Scepter. He was starting to get nervous, he was scared that Zøg would kill him for this. He tried to shrug it off as they took a seat at a table. Bean signaled for two beers. Once they were brought over, she gave Pendergast one.

He shook his head, “I shouldn’t be drinking, I am on duty.”

“Come on, one beer won’t hurt you,” Bean responded. He looked down at the mug of beer then to her. He shrugged, one beer wouldn’t get him drunk anyway.

However, five will get him drunk. They were laughing up a storm by the sixth beer. He had been telling her about how Turbush and Mertz one time they tried to trade armor. 

“They were convinced that it would work,” Pendergast laughed before taking a swig of his beer.

“Why didn’t you stop them?” Bean laughed too. He set his beer down and wiped away the excess with the back of his hand. She had set her head in hand. She never noticed how handsome he was. Sure she’s known him for a while but this, this was different. His laughter was nice.

“Well, it was a slow day at the castle and I needed some form of entertainment,”he replied dismissively. 

They talked some more and shared some more hilarious stories. During this time, Pendergast was so focused on Bean. It was probably the alcohol talking but he was finding her attractive. He was about to make a move when Odval walked in.

“Pendergast, you’re supposed to be watching the princess, not drinking with her,” Odval said when he approached their table.

“Chill out, Odval, we’re just having a couple of beers,” Bean slurred just a little. Odval wasn’t impressed. Pendergast was sobering up fast though. 

“Your father has requested your presence, Princess,” Odval said dryly. 

“Come on, Princess, we should go,” Pendergast said while he stood up. He went over and offered her hand to help her up. She was upset that he didn’t take her side, even if there were sides in this. She stood up on her own and they were escorted back to the castle. Pendergast figured he would just ask her out later when he was truly sober.

They arrived in the throne room with Zøg waiting for them.

“Beanie,” Zøg greeted, “I have some great news for you!”

“I have a feeling I’m not going to like it, you have that weird look on your face,” Bean replied. She had sobered up by the time they got to the castle. 

“I don’t have weird look,” Zøg said. He did have that look when the news he had for Bean was going to upset her.

“Just spit it out, dad,” Bean replied irritated. She had lost her buzz and was upset.

“We’re forming an alliance with Bentwood! Ah, see not bad, eh?” Zøg was trying to make light of the situation but Bean saw right through him. Zøg sighed and ran a hand over his face as she gave him that look. He then spoke, “You’re just like your mother, always seein’ straight through me. Okay, well, I, ah, Odval why don’t you tell her?”

“What your father is trying to say is that you’re getting married to their son, Guysbert,” Odval said. Bean’s eyes widened.

“No way! You can’t make me marry anyone!” Bean shouted. She thought that she’d get to choose who she wanted to marry. She didn’t want this.

“Eh, Pendergast, escort her to her room, I can’t deal with female emotions,” Zøg said before he sat back down on his throne. Pendergast gently took her forearm in his hand. She shrugged him off and just walked away. He followed close behind. 

“Your highness, if I may,” Pendergast started.

“No, you may not,” she replied shortly. It was a good thing she said that because what was he going to say anyway? He didn’t know what to say. He felt bad for her but it was her royal duty and he knew that it always came first. Even if it did suck.


	2. Wedding Day(s)

It had been a month since Bean was told that she was going to be married to Guysbert. She spent some, if not most, of her time at the bar drinking and beating people at cards. Pendergast, on the other hand, was almost being torn up inside. He still wanted to ask her out but she had to get married. He tried to push his feelings down and not let them get to him. Late at night, however, his thoughts wandered. He thought about how nice it was to share a drink with her. He felt at ease during their shared time. Sure, he had to stay on guard but it was nice to be around her. 

Unfortunately, today was the wedding. The security threat was high, everyone was on red alert. Including Pendergast. He was stationed inside at the entrance. Which, to him, wasn’t great. He didn’t want to see the girl he just started to have feelings for get married. He kept telling himself that it was her royal duty and that’s all it was but that just seemed to make it worse. It made him feel bad for Bean. 

Soon the wedding was underway. Bean was walked down the aisle. They were getting on to exchanging the I do’s. Then, the worst thing happened. Guysbert managed to put his head through a sword. Pendergast hated the fact that he was relieved. This sudden death could mean the wedding was off. Or so he thought. It was then announced that the family had another son, Merkimer. He came walking out of seemingly nowhere and boasting about how Bean would’ve left Guysbert for him anyway. Immediately, Pendergast didn’t like him. How dare he assume Bean was that kind of woman! Pendergast had known Bean for a long time, since he was a teen and came to the castle. He knew Bean wasn’t that type of woman. Suddenly, the doors opened up and there was an elf.

“Hi, I’m Elfo, what are all your names?” The elf said in a somewhat high pitch voice. 

“A shiny gold Zøg to whoever captures the elf!” Zøg shouted. Pendergast’s first thought was to get to Bean and keep her safe. He knew how people could get and he knew how dangerous it would be. Also, he feared that her father would kill him if something happened to her. But, in the midst of all the commotion, he saw Bean escape. He was relieved that she managed to escape out the window. It was safer that way, well sort of.

Once everything died down, Zøg ordered Pendergast and his men to go find Bean and the elf and bring them back. Then, Merkirmer joined in the search. 

“I will track down the woman I love and bring her back,” Merkimer started, “keep the champagne chilled, I will return before the last uncle passes out.”

Pendergast rolled his eye. Soon, they were off to get Bean and Elfo.

They tracked Bean, Elfo, and her strange cat to the Washmaster’s place. It happened so fast. Bean was standing at the edge of the cliff and then she just fell off herself. Pendergast felt his heart tighten. He kept a strong facade for everyone. He feared the worst had happened. Then, a giant was there to fight them.

When the giant looked away they managed to escape and head down the plateau. Once they got to the spot that the bodies should have been at, Bean and company fell onto Merkimer, Pendergast had to hold back a laugh. 

They returned to the castle safely. Then, a few days later, Pendergast was invited to a bachelor party for Merkimer. He decided to go, maybe he could threaten him into not hurting Bean. He was making sure everyone got on safely when Bean approached. He told her that she couldn’t but she head butted him. He thought that was fair. 

Later on, when they were all tied up, Pendergast saw Bean biting at the rope on Merkimer. He questioned it for a second. He then realized what she was doing and looked away. He couldn’t witness the action, for their safety.

Merkimer broke free and went after the mermaids. Merkimer then returned when they were under attack. Pendergast heard how disappointed Bean was. He thought that maybe he could secretly give her advice. If anyone found out that they were conspiring to get rid of Merkimer it would cost them their heads. 

One day before the wedding, Pendergast was making his rounds around the castle. He was doing his daily check up. He would do this to look for any weak points, threats, and such. While he was doing this, Bean stopped him to talk to him.

“Hey, Pendergast,” she greeted. He noticed the lack of cat and elf that usually accompany her.

“Princess? Is everything okay?” He asked. It had been a few weeks since they last talked. Not like they could, she was getting married after all and the wedding was this afternoon.

“Yeah, can I, uh, speak with you privately?” She asked almost hesitant. 

“Yes of course, follow me,” he replied. He led her to the one spot where he knew that whatever she had to say would not spread around the kingdom. It was a closet that no one knew was there.

“There’s a closet here?” Bean asked. Pendergast nodded and they went in. It was dimly lit and empty but they could see each other. 

“What is it that you needed to speak to me about?” He asked almost gently. He was genuinely concerned. What bothered her so much that it made her go to him?

“Well, let’s say you had to get rid of someone, hypothetically, what would you do?” She nervously asked.

“What do you mean by get rid of someone?” He inquired. He figured this was about Merkimer. 

“Well, this person has evaded death-”

“Princess,” he tried to interupt. She sounded nervous and scared.

“-and I don’t know, I’m just-”

“Tiabeanie-”

“-not comfortable with murder and-”

“Bean,” he said finally getting her to stop and look at him. He set his hands on her shoulders, a bold move on his part, and spoke, “Is this about you not wanting to marry Merkimer of Bentwood?”

She looked away then back at him, “How did you know?”

“I saw what you did on the boat,” as he spoke he put his hands back at his sides. 

“Oh,” she said. It was all she could say. 

“Look,” he started, “I know you don’t want to get married but it is your royal duty. I know that’s not what you wanted to hear and I’m sorry. I have royal duties too and sometimes, I don’t agree with them but it is what I must do. And this is what you must do for the sake of the kingdom.”

She sighed, “I know it’s my duty as a princess but I just- I can’t marry Merkimer. I want to choose who I marry and not get married because of some stupid alliance.” 

“Maybe your father could be persuaded?” He offered. He hated seeing her this broken up. 

“I doubt it,” she responded. She huffed out another sigh, “Thanks anyway.”

She then left closet. Once she was gone, it was his turn to sigh. Why couldn’t he have offered her better advice?


	3. To Save a Demon

Pendergast sat in the council room with the other members of the council. They were discussing Bean and how unruly she was being. He said that according to the Holy Books the King’s first mistake was educating her. Zøg grumbled. They all agreed that when they were her age, even though for Pendegast that was about four years ago, they were all a little unruly and got into some trouble. Hell, he made the stupid idea of becomming a knight when he was younger than that. However, she was doing a lot more than them combined. Socerio then offered the idea that Bean was possessed by a demon. They, except Pendergast, moved forward with the idea. 

Bean was taken to Socerio one night and Pendergast decided to have no involvement. He stayed in the barracks and trained the night away. He wasn’t the biggest fan of not being listened to. He had hoped they would have listened to him. He thought it was ridiculous, this whole possession thing. He continued to hit the training dummy with force. He was so angry and he didn’t know exactly why this angered him so much. He continued to let out his anger on the dummy well into the night. 

Pendergast still wasn’t completely sold on the idea that Bean was possessed. Unfortunately, Zøg, Socerio, and Odval all agreed on hiring Big Joe to exorcise Bean’s demon. When Big Joe arrived there was thunder and lightning. He appeared to move with every flash. When he appeared next to them with another flash of lightning, everyone let out a little scream. Then, Pendergast lead the way to Bean’s room. He didn’t like this. He knew Bean needed to be reeled in, at least a little bit, but he didn’t think she was possessed. But he followed his orders. The exorcism went fine or at least he guessed. 

The next morning Bean was in a dress which Pendergast thought was odd but who was he to judge? He decided to keep an eye on her, from what he heard last night, he was concerned. So, he followed her to the garden where she was picking flowers with Elfo. He stood there a little awkwardly. He wanted to ask her how she was feeling but would that have been inappropriate? 

“Pendergast?” Bean said when she noticed him standing there. 

“Princess,” he responded with a curt bow. He saw her show a small smile that made his heart flutter just a little. 

“What are you doing here?” Bean asked.

Elfo crossed his arms, “Yeah what are you doing here?”

“I’m here to check in on you,” Pendergast responded, completely ignoring Elfo.

“Why?” Bean rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, “did my dad send you?”

“No, I came here on my own accord,” he told plainly. She uncrossed her arms and her whole demeanor softened. She felt her cheeks heat up. She didn’t know exactly what she was feeling but she appreciated him checking in on her. 

“Oh,” she said softly then cleared her throat, “Well, I’m doing fine. Thank you, Pendergast.”

“My pleasure, Princess,” he bowed, “if you need anything just let me know.”

He then left to go change out of his armor, which he had been in for far too long. He changed into his civilian clothes. He then made his way to stables in town where he would from time to time take care of horses. It was mostly hard labor and he liked it. It was different than the castle and it was home for him. It was also nice to get away from the castle, sometimes royal duties were a lot. It helped him think. He thought about Bean the most recently. He cared for her, he wanted her to be safe. Then, his thoughts would drift to her friends. Well, mostly Elfo. He knew why Elfo was always so mad at him. Elfo was obsessed with Bean, it was obvious and any guy that wasn’t her father was a threat to him. Or that’s the conclusion that Pendergast came to. Suddenly, Bean and Elfo had shown up. She was now in her usual clothes. Bean locked eyes with Pendergast. 

“Pendergast!” She exclaimed, “I-uh, I need to save Luci, my uh cat, he’s missing and-”

“Just take the horses and go,” he stopped her. Sure, he didn’t like giving her these horses but she needed them. They were technically royal property after all. She and Elfo each took a horse and left in a hurry. He sighed and went back to work. 

“Pendergast!” A woman called, she was older, the same age as Bunty. He looked over and smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so short!! But I promise a hefty chapter is on the way!! Also go ahead and check out GuestPlease's fic The Virtue of Nobility, it's amazing 10/10 would recommend!!


	4. When the Cat's Away the Mice will Play

Pendergast had just finished up some training when he got word of the party Bean was hosting. He was invited, which made him happy. Then, one of the squires asked him if he and his band can perform. Pendergast smiled and agreed to perform at the party. He was then debating on what to wear when he overheard the knights agreeing to wear their armor. He walked over to them.

“Sir Pendergast!” One said and they all stood at attention.

“At ease,” he said. When they didn’t speak, he did, “I heard you all were talking about wearing your armor to the party? Wouldn’t that be uncomfortable?”

“Yes,” Mertz started, “but they said the ladies would be into it and that’s-”

“I meant that we should wear them since the King is away and we should be ready for battle at a moments notice,” Sir Edgar the Fearless said, stopping Mertz in his tracks. Pendergast thought for a moment. He did see both sides and if they wanted to wear their armor who was he to stop them?

“Alright, we will all wear our armor to the party tonight,” he announced. Before he walked away he spoke, “Turbish! Mertz! As soon as you’re ready, come with me so we can practice before the party.”

“Yes, sir!” The two said unison. With that, Pendergast was off to go start setting up since he was already in armor. 

The rest of the night went off without a hitch. Well, mostly. Pendergast kept an eye on Bean the whole time while he was on stage. He saw her go up to a bunch of people and ask them to dance. She kept getting rejected over and over and over again. He felt so bad for her. This was her party and no one wanted to dance with her. So, he made a plan to find a break, if he could, and dance with her. Then, she was leaning against a pillar next to the stage. He walked over to the part of the stage that was close to her. 

“Princess,” he got her attention, “how are you enjoying your party?”

“Oh, yeah,” she feigned a smile, “it’s great.”

“Well, as soon as I can, you and I are going to dance,” he shook his head at himself, “if that’s what you want.”

She stood a little taller and smiled for real at him, “Yeah, that would be great.”

He smiled back at her and then walked off when Elfo called her over. He went back to playing his instrument. Partway through the set he was able to step away and find Bean. He went to her talking cat and elf friend first.

“Cat, Elf,” he addressed them, “Have either of you seen Bean, her and I are supposed to dance.”

“Yeah, she’s-” Luci started but Elfo cut him off.

“Listen, Pendergast, she doesn’t want to dance with you her and I are-” Elfo interrupted but Luci returned the favor. 

Pendergast looked between the two and before he could say anymore, Bean came in on a horse. He smiled when he saw her. Sure she was drunk but she seemed to have picked herself up. He got back up on stage and started playing. Suddenly Land Vikings came in and joined the party. The blond one flirted with Bean which seemed to make her smile. That made Pendergast happy. Sure he was into her but he couldn’t get in the way of her happiness. 

Then, they played the slow song and he wished he could’ve danced with Bean. He did see that she seemed happy that he offered to dance with her. So, maybe she at least tolerated him? He didn’t know. He honestly just wanted her to be happy even if that didn’t mean he was part of it. He stopped himself midthought. Why was he so concerned about her happiness? Sure, he’s known her since there were both young teens. And sure he cared for her and wanted her to be safe. And sure he did have feelings for her but he thought he was over it. He sighed, he wasn’t over her. 

The party had started winding down and he and the band decided to stop playing and retire for the evening. Pendergast thought about going back when he was changed to talk to Bean. He let out a yawn and decided he would talk to her in the morning, she seemed to be hanging around that Land Viking and he didn’t want to intrude. So, he went to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, so sorry for how short it is but I promise chp 5 is going to be hefty!!


	5. Actions That Speak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is!! The long awaited long chapter!! It's 2,338 words long. Enjoy!!

After dropping Elfo off with his girlfriend in the Cheese Cave, Pendergast and Bean lead the group out. He figured now was a better time than never to ask about his reward. He was honestly trying to flirt with her before he left to go get Elfo’s girlfriend.

He cleared his throat, “So, Princess, about my reward. I-”

“Oh, yeah,” Bean smiled and then pursed her lips, “I know! You could be my date to the ball and we could go on a double date with Elfo and his girlfriend before then.”

“I, uh,” he felt his cheeks get warm. She had never seen him this nervous before. She thought that maybe he hated the idea.

“Was that too much?” She asked gently. 

“It wasn’t too much. You just caught me off guard. I would love to be your date, Princess,” he replied with a smile. 

“Cool,” she said. The two walked closer than they were aware of and as they walked, their hands kept brushing against each other. Pendergast was able to keep his cool better than Bean. She was blushing like a madwoman and Luci took note. 

Pendergast walked Bean all the way to her room. She didn’t mind at all. They stood at her doorway in silence for beat. Sure they had just walked in mostly silence but now it felt different. He guessed that he should say goodnight to her.

“Thank you, Pendergast,” she was the first to speak, “for getting Elfo’s girlfriend.”

“You’re welcome,” he gave her a curt bow, “goodnight, Princess. I will meet you back at the Cheese Cave in the morning.”

She smiled, “See you then.”

She then went into her room and shut the door. She kept smiling as she went to go get ready for bed. She hummed a little tune as she did.

“So,” Luci started, “you like him.”

“What?” Bean said as she pulled her nightgown over her head. 

“You like Pendergast,” Luci made his way to her bed and they climbed in.

“I don’t know if I like him like that,” she replied. She honestly wasn’t sure. He was nice to her, didn’t fear her dad too much, and he listened to her. Back when they used to hang out he listened to her and engaged in conversation. 

“Sure you do,” Luci said as he curled up next to her, “you do flirt with him, you blushed the whole way here, and you asked him to be your date.”

“I’m just giving him his reward and I needed a date so it works,” Bean defended. Luci rolled his eye.

“Sure and then maybe you can kiss at the ball,” he teased.

“Whatever,” she brushed him off, “Goodnight, Luci.”

“Night,” he said.

But what if they did kiss at the ball or on the double date? Bean thought about that for some time. She wouldn't mind if he kissed her. They weren’t courting though and she still wasn’t sure how she felt about him.

The next morning came faster than Bean thought. She woke up from a weird dream about Pendergast. In the dream they kissed but it was rushed and she had to go. She woke a little disappointed. She wanted to know where she had to go in this dream. All she could remember was that it took place in a dark room. 

Pendergast did dream of Bean but it was more of everything that could go wrong. Including, but not limited to, no pants, his teeth falling out, no clothes at all, being late, saying something dumb and finally everything just sets on fire. Needless to say, he was nervous. He was almost shaking as he got ready for the day. 

“Hey, Pendergast,” Mertz greeted, causing Pendergast to jump. Mertz looked at him confused, “Why are you so jumpy?”

“Just didn’t get enough sleep last night,” he replied.

“Because of your date with Bean,” Mertz commented. Pendergast glared at him. Mertz spoke apologetically, “Not that I would know anything about that. Forget I said anything.”

The two men then left to go release Elfo from the Cheese Cave. It didn’t take long. Then, they were off to get new armor and their current armor repaired.

Time for the date rolled around. Pendergast was in his armor. Bean wondered why he had it on. This was a date after all. But what could she say, she was in her normal clothes. The giant had been able to finally speak after a mishap with flowers. She gave her name, Tess. Elfo jumped into her mouth and she walked away where they had a conversation. This was when Pendergast decided to talk to Bean. This was the first time it was truly just the two of them, mostly, in a very long time. They both felt so at ease.

“Are you having a good time, Princess?” He asked. He was confident and cool in front of Tess and Elfo but when it just him and Bean, he was less like that. He was calm and more of himself.

“Yeah,” she tucked some hair behind her ear. She was still thinking about that damn dream.

“Good, I’m glad you are,” he replied. A silence fell over them

“Hey,” Bean said breaking the silence, “thank you again for getting Elfo’s girlfriend. I know it was a lot that I put you through but I truly appreciate what you did.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” he said trying to sound cool. It was a lot that they went through, they lost Turbish and his horse. Well, the horse was back now but it was missing for a bit. He didn’t want to worry her or let her have a guilty conscience. Not much that he could do to stop the latter but he wanted to at least try. 

“Pendergast, do you have anything for the royal ball?” Bean asked suddenly.

“Yes, I do. You don’t need to worry about that for me. I have something to wear,” he told her. He instinctively put his hand on hers. 

Elfo cleared his throat, interrupting the tender moment. Pendergast quickly removed his hand. Bean shot Elfo a look. Which Elfo was oblivious to. Tess picked up on it, though. The rest of dinner went by fine. Bean would glance at Pendergast who would then look at her causing her to look away. They did this most of the meal.

They all parted ways when they got back to the castle. The girls were off to Bean’s room to get ready and Pendergast ditched Elfo to go get ready. Pendergast tried his best to hurry so he could escort Bean to the ballroom. He was making last minute adjustments before stopping by the barracks. He ordered the men to stay on alert and that Sir Edgar was in charge. He then went to go get Bean. He went to knock on her door when Elfo appeared and rushed in. Pendergast gave a look that Elfo was, yet again, oblivious to. So, Pendergast went to knock again when the hair makeup crew came out. He was growing a little frustrated but it vanished quickly when he saw Bean in her dress. She smiled when she saw him. 

“Looking spiffy, Pendergast,” Bean commented as she walked over to him. He offered his arm to her which she took.

“Thank you. You look beautiful, Princess,” he replied. 

Elfo glared at the two as they walked to the ballroom. He was not happy to say the least. He hated anyone that wasn’t him with Bean. He also didn’t trust anyone with fewer or lesser eyes than him. Suddenly, they stopped a few feet from the entrance. Bean spun around.

“Okay, so, The Herald will announce us first then you guys,” Bean said excitedly.

“She who drinks her way through anything,” The Herald started.

“That’s our que,” Bean smiled to Pendergast. She looked away quickly. Why was she smiling like that?

“And he’s the most loyal knight you’ll ever meet,” The Herald’s voice rang, “Princess Tiabeanie and Sir Pendergast.”

The two then entered the ballroom. Odval was in the corner watching them. He was shocked at this. He never expected them to be together. He knew that they had to be split up. It was bad for the kingdom. Odval knew Bean had to marry a prince, preferably a wealthy one. Even if Pendergast was just escorting her, he still posed a threat. Odval knew what he had to do. Then, the music started and people were dancing.

“Princess,” Pendergast started, “may I have this dance?”

She shrugged and nodded, “Yeah.”

He held out his hand for her and she took it. Then he lead her to the dance floor. He set his left hand on her waist and she set her right hand on his shoulder. Their other hands in eachothers. She gazed at him, now seeing how handsome he was. Her heart fluttered and so did her stomach. She then tried to lead but he stopped them.

“Let me lead,” he said gently.

She swallowed and nodded. Why was she so nervous? So, she let him lead. He twirled her around a couple of times and then they started to sway. She got caught up in the moment and put her head against his shoulder. He was shocked by her actions. He started to blush and then set his cheek on the top of her head. Their eyes closed as they danced. 

Odval came over to them almost immediately, “Tiabeanie, need I remind you that you are a Princess.”

Their eyes shot open and they quickly separated. 

“What are you doing here, Odval?” Bean asked as she crossed her arms. 

“Making sure that you don’t make a mistake,” Odval said almost venomously. Pendergast kept a calm face but on the inside he was pissed. Odval thought that them dancing together meant he was a mistake? That was rude and Pendergast wanted to punch him.

“Shouldn’t you be watching over my dad?” Bean shot back. Odval squinted at her. 

“Fine, but no more of this,” Odval gestured to them. Bean scoffed and took Pendergast by the arm and walked away. Once they were away from Odval, she let go of him.

“Sorry about grabbing you like that,” Bean said. 

“It’s okay. Are you alright, Princess?” He asked, concern evident in his voice.

“Yeah, I’m gonna grab a drink or two,” she replied to him. She was still upset about what Odval said. A knight came over to Pendergast and whispered in his ear.

“I will be right back, Princess, duty calls,” he told her with a curt bow. He was off with the knight and Bean grabbed two glasses of wine and went to a table.

The night went smooth until Tess started seeing the truth with her magic eye. Elfo confessed that it was all a lie and then Turbish appeared. Then, just as Pendergast had dreamt, everything was on fire. He could’ve sworn that Tess took Bean but he knew better than that. Zøg still ordered him and a group of people to go after them. They followed them to the Black Light District. Pendergast knew exactly where Bean was taking them and he knew exactly how to keep her safe.

Pendergast and everyone made their way back to the castle after inhaling bliss. He managed to come down from his high as he walked. He knew Bean hadn’t made it back just yet. When she did, he went to her room and stood at the door. He didn’t know what to say. He wanted to make sure that she was okay but he figured that maybe she was mad at him. 

Bean on the other hand was changing into her regular clothes. She was gonna go back out to the bar. She couldn’t stop thinking about Pendergast. Sure he was going to shoot Tess but the fact that he then told everyone to take a deep breath? It was like he knew. He had so many pros for him to Bean. Maybe Luci was right. 

Bean snuck out and walked with Elfo and Luci to The Flying Scepter. Elfo kept going on about how sorry he was. Bean couldn’t pay attention to him though. They arrived and got a table.

“Whatcha thinking about, Bean?” Luci asked. 

She looked at him, nervous, “Oh, you know, stuff.”

“Were you not listening to me?” Elfo asked, upset.

“Sort of,” Bean responded. 

“But, Bean! I’m apologizing!” Elfo rose his voice.

“Elfo, calm down. I accept your apology,” Bean said off handedly.

“Okay, so back to the issue, who are you thinking about, Bean?” Luci asked. He knew it was Pendergast, he was good like that.

Bean muttered a response.

“What was that?” Luci nudged on.

Bean muttered again.

“Bean, you need to use your words,” Elfo said.

“I’ve been thinking about Pendergast, alright?” She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, avoiding eye contact.

“Why would you be thinking about him?” Elfo asked with a hint of disgust in his voice.

“Elfo, she’s allowed to like whoever she wants, meaning not you,” Luci glared at him then looked at Bean, “so, do you like him, Bean?”

She looked at Luci and bit her lip. Elfo looked worriedly between the two. The longer it took for her to answer, the more anxiety Elfo got.

“I mean,” she started, “I guess I do?”

“You guess?” Luci started, “Are you scared that your dad would kill him then you if he found you two were together?”

“We’re not together,” Bean replied.

“Not yet,” Luci pointed out.

“Bean, I have to let you know that I don’t trust him,” Elfo pointed out. They could hear the sadness in his voice. 

“Why?” Bean shot back immediately, “He’s a good guy, Elfo.”

“So you do like him!” Luci exclaimed. Bean looked at him. He was right, she did like Pendergast.

“You’re right, I do,” she responded confidently. She smiled. Knowing where her feelings stood made her happy. She decided to drink to that.


	6. What the Hay Man?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I know the Hay Man festival took place before Love's Tender Rampage but this is fan fiction.

Contrary to popular belief Pendergast did like to have fun. He always went to the Hay Man. Every year. And every year he always saw the princess. This year would be different. As in, he would not avoid her at all costs. He only avoided her years prior was because he didn’t want her thinking that he was not on duty. When they were younger he was especially suspicious of her telling her dad that he was there. Eventually, he realised that she would be in trouble too. So, he just avoided her because he was used to it. This year was different. He could just feel it. Also, he got permission to go. 

So, here he was, drinking and standing by the fire. He was out of his armor and in regular, civilian clothes. A simple black top, black pants and brown boots. He looked around, probably subconsciously for threats or for Bean. As he glanced at the entrance, he saw her. She walked in with her cat-thing and Elfo. 

Bean didn’t notice Pendergast at all. She went with her friends to the nearest beer stand and got some drinks. They then went to walk around and then ran into Pendergast. For Bean, quite literally.

“Princess!” He exclaimed as he caught her from falling backwards. Their drinks sloshed about in their mugs as a sudden silence fell over them. 

“Luci, why aren’t they letting go?” Elfo asked nervously. 

“Good question,” Luci turned his attention towards them, “Hey, why aren’t you letting go of each other?”

Bean and Pendergast quickly realised that he still had his arm around her. They quickly separated. They wanted to avoid any further questions from Luci. Bean, knowing Luci, would make it very awkward for her. 

“So,” Bean was the first to speak, “I didn’t expect to see you here, Pendergast.”

“I come every year,” he replied. 

“How come I’ve never seen you, then?” She asked before taking a swig of her beer. 

“Maybe, I didn’t want you to see me,” he said. It was his turn to take a sip of his beer.

“Wanna hang out with us?” Bean asked. Elfo was visibly upset at this question. Inwardly, Pendergast was confused. Sure they used to hang out, even though it was his duty to watch her. Still, there were in each other’s company before the failed Bentwood marriage more so than they were now. 

“Sure,” he said. 

So, the four walked around the festival. They stopped at a few booths to play some games. 

“Hi, welcome to knock the bottles down, I’m Chaz, would you like to play?” Chaz asked as they stepped up.

“Nah, we’re just here to stare,” Luci said. Bean gave him a little kick.

“Yeah, we’re here to play,” Bean said. She was about to put some money down when Pendergast stopped her. 

“Allow me, Princess,” he said. She gave him a look but quickly shook it off. Free game. 

Chaz handed her the balls and she started tossing. She was on the fourth ball and still missing the bottles. 

“Dangit, why can’t I hit them?” She said, upset with herself. Pendergast stepped close to her.

“May I?” He asked. Bean handed him the ball and he shook his head, “No, may I show you how to hit them?”

“Oh,” she quietly said, “yeah.”

“Here,” he set his hands on her hips, “set your hips like this.”

He turned her so that she was perpendicular to the bottles. He then instructed her on how to throw it with enough power to knock down the bottles. Bean did her best to listen. Having his hands on her hips sent butterflies to her stomach. Elfo watched the whole thing in disgust. Luci kept him from saying anything. Pendergast then let go of her. 

“Now try throwing like that,” he said. 

“Okay,” she said. She threw the ball and knocked all of the bottles down. All of them cheered. She gave Pendergast a high five, “Thank you! I can’t believe that worked!”

“Well,” Chaz started, “here is your prize, a big stuffed teddy bear!”

Bean accepted the teddy bear and the four continued on. The teddy bear was brown and about the same size as Elfo. So, it was hilarious when Elfo offered to hold the teddy bear for Bean.She let him. They found a table that they could sit at and hang out for a bit. 

People were dancing nearby where they were sitting. Bean looked at them. She liked to dance. Pendergast noticed how she was staring at the people dancing. 

“Princess, if I may be so bold,” he started.

“What is it?” She asked him. The butterflies had returned to her stomach. She wondered if that was normal.

“May we dance?” He asked. He held out his hand to her. 

“Luci, Elfo, stay here and watch our stuff,” She then looked at Pendergast, “Let’s dance.”

They went over to the group of people dancing and joined them. Elfo bit his lip.

“Calm down, man,” Luci started, “it’s just a dance.”

“But she’s dancing with him!” He argued. Luci rolled his eye. Instead of arguing, he just drank. He knew he couldn’t convince stupid. 

Three songs later and they were still dancing. Bean was having a great time. Pendergast was too. The fourth song started to end and they decided it best to head back to the table. The Hay Man fire was starting to dissipate which signaled the end of the festival.

“I guess we should head back,” Bean said, “don’t want to upset my dad.”

“I can walk you home,” Pendergast offered. Bean tucked some hair behind her ear.

“We can walk ourselves home, thank you very much,” Elfo said.

“I only offer since we are heading in the same direction,” Pendergast said. 

“It only makes sense,” Bean replied. She then stood, “Alright, Pendergast you’re walking us home.”

They all stood up and started walking. Bean held on to her teddy bear. She did technically win herself but with Pendergast’s help. That made her heart flutter just a little. The walk was spent mostly chatting. Bean and Pendergast held a conversation. Elfo would interrupt here and there. So did Luci, but he did it with more sarcastic comments. Elfo was just trying to get Bean to focus on him. Her attention was mostly on Pendergast, though. The two talked about the night they just had and talked about a woman who made obscene gestures at that one guy after he tried to look up her skirt. They also mentioned about how they noticed a couple getting it on. Then, they shared an inside joke. Something that Elfo wouldn’t understand. He didn’t like that. 

They finally arrived at the castle and Pendergast offered if she wanted him to walk her to her room. She shrugged and let him. Sure she had just spent all night with him but she didn’t mind spending a little more time with him. It was nice. 

They arrived at her bedroom door and were met with silence. Neither of them wanted the night to end. 

“I, uh,” Pendergast was suddenly at a loss for words.

“Thank you,” Bean said.

“For what?” He asked.

“For teaching me how to knock the bottles down,” she smiled. She glanced down and then to him, “and for a great time.”

“I’m sure he’d love to show you a great time,” Luci snickered. 

“You’re welcome, Princess. Have a good night,” he replied. 

“Good night,” she said. Then, he was off to the barracks. 

Bean entered her room and set the teddy bear on her bed. She was damn proud of herself for that. She changed for bed and cuddled with the teddy bear. Elfo sulked to his cage. 

“Bean?” Elfo said.

“What is it, Elfo?” She replied.

“Would you ever go for a guy like me?” He asked. She could hear the sadness in his voice. Sure, it hurt to hear her friend so upset but she didn’t feel that way about him. 

“Elfo, someone will like you for you but that’s not me,” she told him. 

“Are you sure?” Elfo asked.

“Dude, she said no. Now, go to sleep,” Luci said. 

Elfo grumbled. Bean rolled her eyes and went to sleep. She started to have that same dream again about Pendergast.


	7. The Long Journey Home

The group had just left the bitter cold mountain and had decided to camp out for the night. It had been a long journey. Luci started a campfire and stayed in the fire. He wasn’t the biggest fan of the cold. Luckily, Mrs. Mertz packed food for everyone. Not saying that nobody packed food. They did. Mrs. Mertz just happened to bring more food. They were all sat around the fire, eating their rations. Bean had started shivering. 

“You shoulda worn something warmer, dear,” Mrs. Mertz commented. Bean rolled her eyes.

“I’m f-f-fine,” she shivered out. Luci made the fire a little stronger but not to the point it would hurt anyone. Pendergast noticed her shivering, of course. He figured that Bean hadn’t packed a blanket, or any warm clothes for that matter. He got up and got a blanket from his pack. He then went and draped it over Bean’s shoulders. She put her hand on his.

“Thanks,” she whispered. Their hands remained touching.

He cleared his throat, “You’re welcome, Princess.”

He then quickly removed his hand from hers and went back to where he was sitting. He couldn’t risk Mrs. Mertz saying anything about them. He still wasn’t sure that Bean felt the same way. He also didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, if he could help it. 

They went about the rest of their mission. Which ended up at the Edge of the World. Then, all of it happened so fast. The rope slipped out of their hands and Bean fell along with Socerio. Pendergast and his men were tied up by Big Joe and his assistant. Then, Bean, Socerio and her weird cat were on the back of some beast. They were gone. 

Pendergast worked with his men to get untied. He couldn’t get over the fact that he basically lost Bean. He knew she could take care of herself but he really didn’t want her around that weirdo. He was worried. What was he going to do? What was the King going to do when her found out? 

They all got packed and were about to head off to go follow Bean and company. He figured he could catch up to them and then they could finish the rest of the mission or crusade. Whatever they were calling it. The point was that he could catch up to them, keep her safe, and keep his head. 

However, the trail went cold and they had to head back to the castle. It was a quiet ride until Mertz’s mother pulled up next to Pendergast. 

“You look upset,” she started, “is it about the princess?”

“How did you-?”

“Mother’s intuition.” She interrupted then continued, “Look, you’re very handsome but her...not so much. She’d be better suited for my son. So, get over it. You lost her, big whoop. She did kill her first fiance.”

“It’s not like that between us,” he said.

“Isn’t it though? I saw the way you gave her your blanket and the way you look at her. It’s obvious,” she replied. 

“I may have feelings for her but she doesn’t feel the same,” Pendergast told her. 

“Good, then I’ll get my son to ask her out,” she told him. Before he could say anything more, she was off to go tell Mertz to ask Bean out. 

It took them awhile but they finally arrived at the castle. Pendergast started to apologize about losing Bean when she appeared holding the Eternity Pendant. He was relieved when he saw her, for many reasons. The King dragged Socerio by the ear with the Eternity Pendant. The knights were dismissed and even Odval left. Luci and Elfo stayed. Pendergast walked over to stand closer in front of Bean.

“Princess, I am so sorry that I lost you,” he bowed.

“It’s okay, I-”

“It’s really not,” he stood straight and looked into her eyes, “you were under my watch and I lost you.”

“I had it under control, I’m pretty cool like that,” she said. He smiled with a slight blush at her comment.

“I know,” he said softly. He didn’t think that she heard him but she did. She blushed at his comment. She was about to say something when Odval appeared.

“Princess, your father has requested your presence,” Odval said. 

“Okay,” she said before heading off. Once she was gone Odval focused on Pendergast.

“I don’t know what your intentions are with the Princess,” Odval started, “you will not have any romantic relations with her. She is supposed to marry a prince and not you.”

“I don’t have-”

“Exactly, now go back to your post,” Odval said before walking away. Pendergast clenched his fists. Odval had no right to say all of that. 

Pendergast walked back to the barracks. He was upset at Odval’s words. He had strong feelings for Bean and he wasn’t gonna let Odval stop him. The only thing that would make him stop would be if Bean didn’t feel the same way. Other than that, nothing was stopping him.


	8. Following Orders, Princess

Pendergast was summoned into the throne room. After recent events, he assumed he was supposed to keep watch on Bean. He kept thinking about Bean. He figured she would’ve escaped by now. She was really good at that. He could recall all of the times she would sneak out and get drunk then, he would bring her back to the castle. 

“Pendergast,” Zog started, “I need you and the knights to track down and find Bean. She’s managed to escape.”

“Yes sir,” he replied. As he walked to get the knights, his thoughts travelled to Bean again. He truly did admire her strong will and her heart. He thought about that some more. Maybe that’s why he liked her. The way she challenged him and authority. It was humbling, in a sense.

He was then off to gather the knights. Then, he was off to get Bean and her friends. They stopped at the edge of the Enchanted Forest. He hopped off his horse and knelt down. 

“Heavy boot prints,” he muttered before standing up and facing his men, “Men, we are following these boot prints and that should lead us to the Princess.”

As they followed the boot prints, the smell of Dreamland ditch weed grew as they neared Elfwood. They made their entrance, then, they fought. After the miniature battle they had, Bean and her friends closed the gate as arrows flew through the air. Pendergast lowered his bow and watched as Bean and Elfo conversed. Suddenly, Elfo was shot. Pendergast looked around to see who did it. He couldn’t find any trace of who did it. He knew if Elfo died, it would ruin Bean. He didn’t want that for her. 

Except, Elfo did die. He died in Bean’s arms and Pendergast couldn’t do anything to help.

After gathering up, they were headed back to the kingdom. Pendergast rode slightly ahead of Bean. She was carrying Elfo. She held him close as if that would bring him back. She couldn’t help the tears that streaked down her face. 

Pendergast understood the pain she was going through. He too had lost friends on the battlefield. He felt bad for her. So, he slowed down and met his horse’s pace with hers. 

“My deepest apologies, Princess,” he told her gently. She rolled her eyes and walked a little faster to get away from him. She held Elfo closer to her. He huffed out a sigh then signaled his horse to catch up to her. He then spoke again, “Princess, I am deeply sorry for your loss.”

“I’m sure you are,” she said, upset, “and if you are, why did you shoot Elfo?”

“I didn’t shoot Elfo,” he defended.

“Then, why did you come here?” She questioned him.

“I was just following orders, Princess,” he said, “we’ve had this conversation. We both have royal duties and mine is to follow every order of the king’s, your father.”

“You still had a choice, Pendergast,” her voice grew in volume ever so slightly, “you had the choice to help me and not attack the elves,” her breathing became heavier, “Elfo is now dead because of this! You always have a choice,” she calmed down a bit, “I just wish you chose differently.”

“Please, Bean, let me explain-”

“Get away from me, Pendergast,” she sniffled a bit before getting away from him. 

Pendergast let out a breath of air that he was holding. He felt so bad. He never wanted to upset her. Then, Odval came up next to him.

“Sir Pendergast,” Odval started, “ need I remind you that she is the princess?”

“No,” Pendergast said, “I was just trying to help her.”

“I told you to stay away unless ordered otherwise.”

“I was just trying to be her friend.”

“That’s all you’ll ever be,” Odval muttered. Pendergast heard him though. Maybe he was right. What else would Bean see in him? Especially after today. 

Later, at the castle, Pendergast was roaming the halls. He was going to go talk to Bean. He thought he could salvage their conversation from earlier. As he walked he ran into Queen Dagmar. 

“Your highness,” he bowed. When stood back straight up, she had a wicked grin on her face.

“Oh dear, Pendergast, you’ve outlived your usefulness,” she said. She went to throw the stone potion on him. He held his hands up. All he could think of was that he had to get to Bean. He had to warn her and keep her safe as best he could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry. It's so short and angsty.


	9. A Breath of Fresh Air

Bean sat on the steps to the castle and waited for Elfo and Leavo to get back from wherever they were going. She had her head in her hands with her elbows on her knees. She was staring at Pendergast. He was still a statue. Bean started to feel really bad. She felt that the whole kingdom getting turned to stone was her fault. If she hadn’t freed her mom, none of this would’ve happened. But this was her mom, how could she not free her own mother? Bean let out a sigh and decided to go to her room for a bit. She wanted to be alone for a bit. 

Soon, after everything that happened, Leavo helped Zog bring everyone back by convincing the elves to come back and help. So, here they were, on elf per person of Dreamland. They took the vile, with a drop of elf’s blood, and put it on the citizens of Dreamland.

Then, the vile was put on Pendergast, who was next to be freed from the stone. The vile dinged and glowed as the stone disappeared from him. Pendergast was freed. He looked around to gain his surroundings and his senses. He saw that he was in the courtyard and Socerio was the one who freed him. His brows furrowed. There was no way that he could’ve done that in Pendergast’s opinion. But, as he observed, someone was helping him. 

“Socerio, have you seen the princess?” Pendergast asked.

“I think she went to her room,” Socerio replied. 

Pendergast nodded and was off to go find Bean. He felt bad for how he acted. He knows he could’ve done better. So, he was going to. Once he got to her room, he hesitated. He questioned if she would even want to see him. Why should she want to see him? Especially after the shit advice he gave her. She had every right to be angry with him. So, why was he here? He took a deep breath on knocked. The door opened to reveal Bean.

“Princess!” He said, shocked.

“Oh, they freed you,” she responded and crossed her arms before leaning against the doorway, “So, what are you doing here?”

“I came here to apologize,” he said. She stood straight and her arms dropped to her sides.

“Oh?” She said.

“Yes. I’m sorry for what I said to you back in the woods. You had just lost your friend and I was being a, well, a-”

“A dick?”

“Yeah, that. And I should’ve been nicer. Will you accept my apology?” He asked. Bean tapped her finger against her chin, she was really contemplating this. 

“Who turned you to stone?” She asked.

“Dagmar,” he responded.

“And what were your last thoughts? Were you mad at her?” She asked. Her voice was gentle, she didn’t know how she could approach this. She also felt that she needed to know this. It would help her understand.

“I am mad at her, she betrayed the kingdom,” he paused, “and you.”

“Yeah, she did and that’s taken care of now,” she replied.

“How?” He asked.

“I’d rather not talk about it,” she said. He nodded. She then spoke, “You didn’t answer my other question.”

“My last thoughts were of you, Princess. All I could think about was how I could keep you safe,” he told her. She stood there, shocked. He looked at her with concern and took a step towards her, “Princess?”

“I accept your apology,” she said, snapping out of it, “I think you need to meet with my dad now.”

“Prin-”

“Bean?” A shrill voice said, “What’s taking so long?”

“Just a second, Elfo,” she said.

“The elf is alive?” Pendergast asked.

“Oh, yeah, I kind of saved him,” she responded. Then, two knights came up.

“Sir Pendergast,” one spoke, “Odval has called a meeting.”

“Alright,” he said then turned to Bean, “Thank you, Princess.”

“You’re welcome,” she said. Then, he was off with the two knights. 

Bean went back into her room. She sighed and flopped onto her bed. What was she going to do? Pendergast’s last thoughts were of her and that made her stomach do flips. She wondered what else he thought about her. Then, she thought about the fact that he apologized to her. That shocked her, in a good way. She really appreciated that he did that. 

“So, what’s going on between you and Pendergast?” Luci asked. He sat on the footboard of the bed.

“I don’t know,” Bean responded, “he just apologized, which was weird and unexpected.”

“What was he apologizing for?” Elfo asked, getting up onto the foot of the bed and sitting there.

Bean sat up, “When you died, he and I had an argument and he was being a dick.”

“Is he the one that shot me?” Elfo asked.

“No,” Bean said, “I think it was someone else.”

“What if it was?” Luci asked, “Would you still love him after that?”

“Bean doesn’t love him,” Elfo said.

“I highly doubt he was the one that shot Elfo,” Bean replied, “and I don’t love him.”

“See!” Elfo responded.

“Okay, but you do have feelings for him, remember?” Luci said.

“I do have feelings for him,” Bean sighed, “I like him but I doubt he feels the same. He would probably only use me for power.”

“You have met the man, right?” Luci asked, “He did just apologize to you and he honestly doesn’t seem like that kind of person.”

“I guess,” Bean looked out the window, “you guys want to go get drunk?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” Luci said. Then, the three were off to the bar. As they drank at the bar, Luci prodded more about how Pendergast definitely felt something for Bean, mainly because it upset Elfo. Bean kept denying it but she never denied that she liked Pendergast. Eventually, Elfo got up to go to the bathroom.

“Okay, now that Elfo’s gone, when are you going to tell him that you don’t like him?” Luci asked.

“I thought I made that clear to him already,” Bean said.

“It wasn’t clear enough. Now, either you get with Pendergast now or you tell Elfo directly how you feel about him,” Luci told her, “Elfo doesn’t pick up on hints, Bean.”

“You’re right,” Bean responded, “I’ll tell him when we’re sober.”

“Good, cause he’s getting creepy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long!! Better late than never, I suppose


	10. The Lemon Crusades

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> long time no see!! here's a lil bit of a flash back to the most dramatic crusade of all time.

A young Pendergast was taking care of one of the many horses that his family had in the stable. He was around fourteen. His hair was just above his shoulders and pulled back into a low ponytail. He was currently brushing the mane of the brown horse, Carrots. It was a calming activity for him. He could get lost in thought easily. He wondered what life had in store for him. If he could, he would take care of the horses for the rest of his life. He would marry and settle down, too. He thought about the type of woman he would marry. He would want her to be proper, and not unruly. He wanted someone he could bring home to his family. He continued to drift off into thought and the kind of life he wanted. 

“Pendergast!” A woman called in a sing-song voice. He stopped brushing the horse and spun around.

“Yes, mother?” He replied.

“It’s time for dinner, why don’t you come in and get cleaned up?” She asked. 

“Okay, be in soon!” Pendergast replied. 

His mother went back into the house and he went back to brushing. He brushed out the rest of Carrots’ mane before cleaning up. He then went to the house and cleaned himself up. Then, he sat down with his family at the table for dinner. His family consisted of his mother and his sister. They sat happily and talked about their day. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Pendergast’s mother had a look of fear that crossed her face and vanished just as quickly. She then went and answered the door to two knights and the king’s right hand, Odval. 

“We are here to take any able bodied male to fight in the crusade, by order of the King,” Odval said.

“But he’s just a boy, barely a man!” Pendergast’s mother said. 

“It’s alright mom,” Pendergast said, now at his mom’s side.

“Good man, now let’s go,” Odval replied.

“Please don’t take my baby boy,” Pendergast’s mother pleaded.

“It is by order of the King,” Odval seethed, “you wouldn’t want to get in the way of that, now would you?”

“But-”

“Would you?” Odval said as the two knights hovered their hands over their swords.

“No,” she said, defeated. She then quickly hugged Pendergast and he hugged her back before they said goodbye and he was off with Odval and the knights. 

A year or so had passed and The Lemon Crusades were still raging on. Pendergast had quickly moved up in ranks and was now one of the knights to protect King Zog on the battlefield. He was never given an official title, though. He was still a trainee, essentially.

The day had been long and the sun was beating down harshly. The army was moving through a field that led them to their next target. Suddenly arrows were raining down from the heavens. Pendergast acted fast and blocked Zog but unfortunately couldn’t save himself. He had managed to get an arrow to his left eye. Quickly, Zog got the medical team over and the army quickly retreated and set up camp. 

Pendergast had passed out from the pain but when he woke up, it was all very different. He couldn’t fully see and he had a massive headache. He also felt a little drunk too. He turned his head and looked around and found Zog sitting in the tent with him.

“Sire?” Pendergast said.

“Pendergast, you’re up, that’s good. Thought we lost you there,” Zog said.

“What happened?” Pendergast asked.

“You saved my life and you lost yer eye,” Zog told him.

“I- What?” Pendergast replied in shock. Zog handed him a mirror and Pendergast saw the damage. Luckily, the wound was currently covered with bandages and he couldn’t see the full extent of the damage. He went to take the bandages off when Zog stopped him.

“You really don’t want to see that, kid,” Zog said gently.

“What’s going to happen now?” Pendergast asked.

“Well, I’m sending you home with a couple of others. You’re going to stay at the castle and get healed up and when we win this crusade, you’re going to start your training to be a knight,” Zog replied. 

“To be a knight?” Pendergast asked.

“You saved my life kid, it’s really the least I could do,” Zog replied. It really was the least he could do because there was nothing more for Zog to offer. Zog thought he could offer his daughter but she was still too young, and so was Pendergast, to get married. So, knight training it was. 

After about a fortnight’s travel, Pendergast and some other knights had made it back to the castle. Pendergast was immediately taken to the medical area of the castle where he would stay until he was fully healed. 

It wasn’t until two years later when Zog returned with the most prized thing, the lemon. Pendergast was well and healed up and already a year and a half into his training. Zog wanted to meet with Pendergast and the knight training him. 

“Announcing Sir Fredward and his learner Pendergast!” The Harold said. Sir Fredward and Pendergast bowed before the royal family. Pendergast noticed the princess, Tiabeanie. She was only three years younger than him. He didn’t think much of her, this was his first time meeting her, after all.

“Fredward, Pendergast, how goes the training?” Zog asked. Bean looked at Pendergast, he was cute but he was going to be working for her dad and that didn’t sit right with her. She still thought he was cute, though. 

“It’s going well, he is a quick learner” Sir Fredward replied. Sir Fredward had slicked back black hair and a black moustache. 

“Good to hear,” Zog turned his attention to Pendergast, “how is it really going, Pendergast?”

“I am learning a lot and have a great teacher,” Pendergast replied. 

“Good,” Zog said, “Pendergast, this is my daughta, Tiabeanie. Say hi, Beanie.”

“Hi,” Bean replied simply. 

“Hello, Princess,” Pendergast replied with a bow. Bean felt a small blush appear on her cheeks. Him calling her princess felt different.


End file.
